The present invention relates to plastic clips for the retention of electrical wires and cabling against, generally, the exterior surface of a building. More specifically, the present clip falls within the family of fasteners intended to attach such wires and cables to a building surface without screws, nails or otherwise defacing the surface.
One common form of exterior siding comprises plural aluminum sections or wood planks arranged horizontally and in overlapping fashion. The interlace between adjacent sections defines a recess or receptacle into which a flanged (or barbed) portion of a clip may be inserted by urging the clip perpendicularly into the recess thereby securing same to the wall surface. Although not as common, siding may also be arranged in vertical sections. Whether vertical or horizontal, the recesses defined between adjacent sections are unidirectional, i.e. parallel, as are the corresponding, although perpendicular, paths for clip insertion. Thus, for any given wall surface, all siding clips must be inserted in the same direction.
It will be appreciated that this limitation restricts the placement of siding clips by forcing all siding clips to be oriented in a single, common direction. As most known clips are designed to receive wires or cables in a single orientation with respect thereto, multiple clip models are generally required--so-called horizontal and vertical clips--where both lateral as well as drop cable runs are contemplated. The present invention, on the other hand, pertains to a universal clip arrangement suitable for use on an aluminum or other planked siding having unidirectional, longitudinal interfaces therebetween while facilitating the retention of wires and cables oriented vertically, horizontally, or both.
A further limitation of many known clip structures is the relatively limited range of wire and cable sizes that any given clip can accommodate. Thus, a family of clip sizes must be provided, and, for each mounting orientation. By contrast, the present clip incorporates conventional cable ties for wire attachment (to the clip body portion) which ties, in turn, permit retention of a wide range of cable cross-sections. And further flexibility can be realized by selecting cable tie sizes according to the number and diameter of cables requiring attachment.
Clips employing cable ties for wire attachment are not unknown. One such clip, for example, is the anchor sold under the TAPIN trademark by Illinois Tool Works. This clip, however, is literally nailed to a wall surface thereby causing the associated problems of wall defacement and surface breach. The present clip does not, in the first instance, employ a surface-breach mounting arrangement. Further, the clip described herein permits retention of vertical as well as horizontal cable spans and, importantly, both spans may be accommodated with a single clip structure.
The lower portion of the clip (i.e. the portion closest to the wall surface) advantageously provides the support and retention of cables oriented generally parallel to the longitudinal siding sections or planks. In most installations these will be horizontal cable `spans`. More specifically, a cantilever armature member facilitates the "side-loading" attachment of cables to the clip body (using, as previously noted, a cable tie around the cables and armature member) whereby the cable tie may be cut or slipped-off the armature thereby allowing the installation, removal, replacement, and/or repositioning of horizontal cable spans without the necessity for a corresponding replacement or repositioning of a previously installed clip or any vertical cables connected thereto.
A further feature of the side-loading attachment is the orientation of the wire or cable adjacent the clip and immediately proximate the wall surface. In this manner the cable is positioned in the recessed region generally found at the interface between adjacent siding sections and protected by the raised portion of siding defined by the overlapping of one section on the other.
A wholly different "top-loading" retention is proposed for the vertical or "drop" cables that, in the first instance, spaces apart the respective horizontal and vertical cables (where the present clip is employed to advantageously position and attach cables in both orientations) while, secondly, positioning the drop cable sufficiently above the wall surface to assure that such cable will clear the ridges created by the previously discussed overlapping of adjacent siding sections. It will again be appreciated that the vertical drop cables may be attached or reattached to an installed clip without need for clip or horizontal wire removal or repositioning.
Both clip cable retention regions define contours or channels against or through which the respective span and drop cables are directed. These contours are importantly dimensioned and contoured to permit clip use with the widest possible range of cable and wire types and sizes.
The present clip is further and advantageously designed to facilitate the greatest economy in manufacture. Specifically, the clip is preferably fabricated utilizing conventional plastic injection molding technology and, to the end of further economy, the present clip--although being of complex design by reason of its treatment of orthogonal cables (i.e. along "x" and "y" axes) and spacing of such cables in yet a third dimension (i.e. along the "z" axis)--is designed whereby the molds may be of the simple parting type, that is, where complex and expensive side actions, lifters, slide locks, or similar tooling systems are not required. In this manner the tool is not only cheaper in its original manufacture, but less expensive to maintain, less likely to fail or require maintenance, and may be cycled more rapidly.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a siding clip for the retention of wires and cables against exterior wall surfaces that is economical to fabricate and effortless to install; that does not deface the wall surfaces on which it is mounted; provides for the retention of cables of multiple orientations, in particular horizontal and vertical; has the capability of retaining both such cables simultaneously; accommodates cables of widely varying cross-section and size; permits the attachment and reattachment of cables without a corresponding need to reposition or reattach the clip or other cables; positions cables close to the wall and in sheltered, protected relationship thereto, but spaces cables away from the wall as required to effect cable crossings and to avoid siding interferences for cables oriented transversely to the siding sections or planks; and, facilitates the manufacture thereof in an economical manner.
These and other objects are more fully explicated in the drawings, specification, and claims that follow.